mealybugs on Greenovia
Quick answer
If your Greenovia has mealybugs, the most likely cause is: Mealy-bugs appear as small woodlouse-like insects about 2mm long covered with a white mealy substance, with their eggs held in the white tufts close to the colony, and they settle into the tight cup-shaped rosettes and resting crowns of Greenovia where the bloom-coated leaves hide the infestation until the population is well established.
Start here:
- 1. Dab a small camel-hair brush dipped in methylated spirit, or better still 1 part nicotine to 30 parts methylated spirit, directly onto each mealy-bug tuft so the white waxy coating is removed and the insects are killed on contact.
- 2. Apply a systemic insecticide or a malathion spray once the visible infestation has been cleared so that any hidden mealy-bugs feeding inside the rosette folds are also killed.
Why Greenovia gets mealybugs
Greenovia
Mealy-bugs appear as small woodlouse-like insects about 2mm long covered with a white mealy substance, with their eggs held in the white tufts close to the colony, and they settle into the tight cup-shaped rosettes and resting crowns of Greenovia where the bloom-coated leaves hide the infestation until the population is well established.
How to reverse mealybugs on Greenovia
- 1
Dab a small camel-hair brush dipped in methylated spirit, or better still 1 part nicotine to 30 parts methylated spirit, directly onto each mealy-bug tuft so the white waxy coating is removed and the insects are killed on contact.
- 2
Apply a systemic insecticide or a malathion spray once the visible infestation has been cleared so that any hidden mealy-bugs feeding inside the rosette folds are also killed.
Keep mealybugs off this Greenovia
Inspect the tight resting-season rosettes of Greenovia regularly for white tufts, quarantine any new acquisitions, and maintain a routine systemic drench during the active spring and fall growth periods to prevent colonies from establishing in the crown.